Well I have finally done the clutch this past weekend! I'm so glad it's done, I've needed to do it for some time.

ANd let me say this. If ANYONE, needs to do the clutch on their Hilux themselves, like me, for financial reasons. Please feel free to give me a shout.

I've done many clutches, (when I was younger...) so when I set out to do the clutch on my 'Lux I must say, it was a rude awaikening!!! to say the least. This is not a 1400 se clutch wat jy gou op jou bors laat val en gou eenkant toe swaai nie... no way!

In short, it took me two days en BAIE ENGELS :angry2: , om die outjie in en op te kry...

That must be one of the lousiest jobs one can do without a mechanical workshop at your disposal .... even then it's a !

When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!

Well as they say hind sight is 20/20, but I recon if I did it again I wouldn't ‘sukkel’ so much again.

I put a sling around the front, behind the bell housing, into the cab, which my son pulled tight as I jacked it up, re-attached the cross-member and so we went on and it was in quite quickly after I figured that out. But the twelve times before that trying to find a centre point to jack it up from was a nightmare! With the transfer box and everything else in the way, I even got a MO#&SE bump on the head as well at one point.

But then, when it did go in and the splinds were fine and I didn't have to violently shake the thing around to go in, it was such a relief.

But I recon one of the biggest problems is the rust and debris around the bolts, which made removing them exhausting just to get the cross member off.

I did my clucth a couple of months back, SWAMBO and i took it out one afternoon after work. The next day she got the clutch, pressure plate and release bearing, i cleaned the lot and fitted the stuff the next afternoon after work, then i got "gout" in my left elbow the next day but i wanted the gearbox in place SWAMBO and the 2 plat-annatjies offered to help but my left elbow caused me to swear a lot which made the plat-annatjies very nervous, eventually my neighbour came to assist and in it went.

dustbuster wrote:I need to do mine tomorrow any advice as this will be my first attempt, done the clutch on my citi golf but think this is going to be much harder

This would be a huge understatement. I personally would not even consider doing this job if I did not have an extra (strong) set of hands or a descent transmission jack. I have done quite a few front wheel drive cars clutches and they are like taking an afternoon nap compared to doing the Hilux's

My suggestion is to first have another person who can help.
Then a trolley jack, (I used a normal cheapie from Midas). BUT! I would have liked to weld a couple of round bar "Fingers" to the round disk on which you rest the Gearbox.

If none of this is possible do this... (My son, 9, helped me).

With the GB positioned in the right place under the Lux, (assuming you've lifted the Cab high enough to easily move around underneath).
I put a rope under the bell housing, extending the two ends up into the Cab, wound around a plank. I would then jack the Box, with my son winding the slack onto the plank, (the Box is now hanging on the rope). I would then position a block of wood at the back of the box (to maintain the level), allowing me to reposition the jack with more spacers to further lift the box, doing this a few time until the box at the right height to be pushed in. (the last step looks like this, the bell housing end is resting on the rope, which is holding it at the correct height, and the trolley jack is at the back end, facilitating the back and forth movement to get the shaft through the clutch).
This sounds simple enough, (or maybe not), but believe me! This was a job and a half… But after figuring this system out I recon I’d do it again in a quarter of the :wth: time.

1st on my Sierra, it used to take me just under 9hrs with help to do a clutch!!
that is a whole days work, and very dirty as one lies on the ground!!
by pulling out the motor done in under 3,5 hrs and alone!!

then on the 4x4 have not had to do a clutch as for just the clutch only!!
have however had the V6 out, and would go this way!!
as with either a block and tackle or a hoist one can do the job alone, have done it self!!

quiet simple:
6 gearbox bolts
two engine mounts
water pipes, fuel pipe, and a few wires
and the radiator!!
and NO disconnecting of prop shafts!!

someone pls be brave enough and try it out this way!! it works!!

a piece of wood and a small trolley jack is all that it takes to lift/support the gearbox to align with the motor afterwards!!

And you have to take the bonnet off .... been there done that, easier in many respects .... especially with a platkar, but the lux is so high off the ground it's easy enough from underneath with a few helping hands.

When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!

It is always easier with larger vehicles to remove the engine, espesialy in 4x4 vehicles with the larger crossmember and extra propshafts. The problem is not everybody has the facilities for the block and tackle. not to mention the correct and safe attachments to secure the engine to the block and tackle.

1st on my Sierra, it used to take me just under 9hrs with help to do a clutch!!
that is a whole days work, and very dirty as one lies on the ground!!
by pulling out the motor done in under 3,5 hrs and alone!!

then on the 4x4 have not had to do a clutch as for just the clutch only!!
have however had the V6 out, and would go this way!!
as with either a block and tackle or a hoist one can do the job alone, have done it self!!

quiet simple:
6 gearbox bolts
two engine mounts
water pipes, fuel pipe, and a few wires
and the radiator!!
and NO disconnecting of prop shafts!!

someone pls be brave enough and try it out this way!! it works!!

a piece of wood and a small trolley jack is all that it takes to lift/support the gearbox to align with the motor afterwards!!

a lot less stressful!!

good luck and enjoy!!
and pls let us know who was brave enough!!

My Rear main seal was done with engine removed, well, had a couple of small things replaced and Viper branch fitted.... Engine removed was the best idea and quick....

Hi Bruno. Not a very big deal but will take some time and you might need a helper to remove the gearbox.

You might need to jack the vehicle onto stands if the suspension isn't raised or has sagged. If you do this make sure that it is on sturdy stands, but I've got away without jacking because I have enough room to work under there.

You will need to remove front and rear prop-shafts but important before removing is to mark the prop-shafts on both sides of the slip joints. You do this in case they are taken apart (the slip joints just slide apart) and that they can be put back into the originally balanced positions and also for the phasing of the universals. Personally I like to mark the flange positions and at the diffs and gearbox output shafts as well - I usually use a felt tipped paint marker or some of swambo's nail polish but whatever you use it should not be able to be rubbed off.

You will also need to remove the gear levers from inside the cab. Remove the lever boots from the bottom and the lever turrets will be exposed. Unbolt the turrets and the levers lift out with a bit of a wiggle. Put them aside in a clean place. You will also need to disconnect the speedo cable from the gearbox - easy ... one bolt on the flange that holds it in and it slips out.
You must also disconnect the reverse light wire from the sender unit on the side of the box, just clips off. Check that there is no wire connected to the transfer case (some models had this for a 4WD indicator light on the dash). Also unbolt the clutch slave cylinder from the bell housing but don't remove the hydraulic line from the slave otherwise all the fluid drains out and you would have to fill and bleed the system again afterwards. (Uses dot4 brake fluid). Unhook the slave from the clutch fork and pull it to the side ... secure it out of the way with some wire.

I cannot remember if the starter motor has to be removed on the 4Y, but you will see if it needs to be removed in order to separate the bell housing from the engine block. If it has to be removed disconnect the battery first (positive terminal should do it) before disconnecting the starter.

Once all cables and wires are off and the box is clear to be dropped, get a gearbox jack or trolley jack under it for support. unbolt the bell from the block. Good idea to have a helper on hand to steady / support the box before freeing it completely. Slip the box and bell off and avoid letting it hang with it's full weight on the spigot shaft. Once it's off the flywheel with the clutch plate and pressure plate will be exposed and you will see that it's bolted to the flywheel with something like 12 small bolts around the edges of the pressure plate. Remove and the clutch plate falls out as well.

At this point you should examine the oil seals for leaks, that's the seal on the input shaft of the box and the rear crank seal of the motor - you can't see that seal behind the flywheel but you will see if it's been leaking. A lot of guys will say to replace those seals while the box is out, and it's a good practice to do so. You would however have to remove the bell from the box and the flywheel from the crank to get to them. They come out easily enough and usually get damaged in the process - no biggie, you're going to replace them anyway.

It's also recommended that you replace the spigot bearing (some people call it the pilot bearing) in the centre of the flywheel - they usually come out quite easily (loosely pressed in), but if it's stubborn, with the flywheel removed they can be pushed out from the back.

It's also recommended that you replace the pressure plate at the same time as replacing the clutch, but if your budget is very tight you can get away with reusing the old one of it hasn't been scoured or burnt. There is no merit in having it skimmed - better to just replace. If you get a complete clutch kit, there should be a new pressure plate in there as well as the release bearing - release bearing must be replaced. A lot of guys will say that you should have the flywheel skimmed at the same time as well but it's not always necessary if it hasn't been scoured by the rivets of an over-worn clutch plate, if there are no ridges worn into it and if there are no fine heat cracks on the surface. Otherwise have it skimmed.

Reassembly is a simple reverse order of disassembly but there are some critical points.
The flywheel needs to be bolted back with the correct torque ( you'd have to check what that spec is or someone here might know).
Put a little oil on the surfaces of the new seals before pressing them carefully into place.
Some clutch kits used to provide a plastic locator to align/ centralise the clutch plate when fitting clutch and pressure plates back onto the flywheel. You will need this or something that will do the same job the end fits into the spigot bearing and a wider section goes through the hole in the centre of the clutch. Otherwise you can do it by eye if you have a good enough eye to get it centralised. Failure to do so could result in a bent spigot shaft or warped clutch plate.
the pressure plate needs to torqued to spec.
I like to put a small smear of grease on the pivot pins of the clutch fork when putting it back into the bell. The release bearing is fitted smooth side to the front (pressure plate side) and it has locator lugs on the fork side.
Also smear a small amount of grease onto the end of the spigot shaft for ease of slipping into the bearing before putting the box back in. Although the box is heavy and awkward to work with, don't try force it if it's not locating up to the block with a bit of wiggling about. It means that the clutch plate is not properly aligned and you'll have to redo the step of aligning it. The bell is also torqued when bolted back.
Put back the starter if it was removed and refit the slave cylinder, wires and cable that were disconnected. Refit gear levers and boots. Refit prop shafts to line up with your marks (especially the slip-joints if they were split).

That's about it (all I can think of off the top of my head). Good luck.

When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!

This is quite a job. The issue is that with the transfer case the gearbox is HEAVY. That makes all the difference. On my sister in law's 4x2 3.0 D4D it took my brother and I 30 minutes to remove the gearbox. Both of us are handy so we could focus on doing different jobs at the same time. It took another hour and a half or so to fit the new clutch, clean and replace every thing. Doing the clutch on my 4x4 took a hell of a lot longer.

The sequence is in basic terms.

1. Work inside the cab whilst you are still clean. Remove everything that is required so that you can remove the gear levers. Remove the gear levers. When you have the console etc removed and you can see through to the gearbox you must check if there are any electrical plugs you can undo from the top, though the hole in the floor where the gear levers protrude.
2. Get under the vehicle and unplug all wires leading to switches/sensors on the gearbox. You don't want to end up yanking them off when the gearbox drops. Also check for earth straps connected to the gearbox and undo them.
3. Undo the rear prop-shaft after marking its position on the diff flange. Undo the center bearing and remove the prop-shaft.
4. Undo the short prop-shaft going from the transfer case to the front diff - mark its position on the flanges.
5. Remove the starter motor and the clutch slave cylinder.
6. Release the bolts/nuts holding the bell housing but do not take them all out yet. You can take out the top bolts bolting the bell housing to the engine block.
7. Remove the cross member that the gearbox rests on. Make sure that you have the gearbox supported with a jack or trestle before removing the bolts on the cross member.
8. Remove all the bolts on the bell housing and pull the gearbox to the back to slide the spline shaft out. You may need to gradually drop the gearbox at the back as you do this as the bell housing might catch on the firewall. Pull the gearbox backwards until the spline shaft is free from the clutch plate and you can lower the gearbox. Be very careful not to let the gearbox hang on the spline shaft with it's full weight. (This also holds true for assembly where it is actually much more likely as you will be battling to lift the heavy SOB back up whilst trying to align the spline shaft.) This is where a transmission jack comes in very very handy.
9. Remove the bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel and remove both. Carefully check which way around the clutch plate is installed. Don't loose the bolts as they are high tensile steel with fine thread and are the least likely ones to have spare in your skroewe blikkie.

Optional but highly recommended.

10. Remove and replace the spigot bearing inside the crank shaft. This is very easily achieved by finding a bolt or rod that fits inside the bearing relatively tightly. It must be a slip fit. 12 mm if I remember correctly. Take some slices of old bread. Start stuffing the bread in there and compacting it with the bolt/rod after a while you will need to tap the bread in with a hammer at which point the bearing will magically start sliding out. Keep adding bread until the bearing pops out. You can use other substances like thick grease but bread is by far the easiest to clean out afterwards.
11. Make a plan to hold the flywheel stationary and remove the flywheel. You get commercial flywheel locks but a flat bar/plate with two holes drilled into it and bolted to the flywheel with one of the pressure plate bolts and to one of the holes in the engine (where the bell housing attaches) is a simple thing to make and works well. Be careful not to damage the bolts holding the flywheel to the crankshaft as they are very tight and normally have fairly thin/flat heads so the bearing surface for the socket is small. Make absolutely sure that the socket is and stays in place when releasing those bolts.
12. Remove the crankshaft oil seal by prying it out. You get commercial oil seal removal tools. I simply drill a little hole in the oil seal and screw in a sturdy self tapper that I grip with a vice grip and yank out. The big thing is not to damage the surfaces where the oil seal must seal.
13. Get a genuine Toyota oil seal as they last. Lightly tap in the new oil seal - Use the old seal to push on the new one (face to face) and tap on the edges of the old seal. If there is a groove in the crankshaft caused by the old seal it would be a good idea to tap it in slightly deeper or shallower so that the seal's edge runs on a new surface.
14. Tap in the new spigot bearing.
15. Put the flywheel back and torque the bolts to the same spec as before. If the flywheel is obviously damaged you must have it skimmed at an engineering shop that knows its business. I always used to skim a flywheel regardless of appearance but a workshop manager at a reputable gearbox and diff centre told me he never skims unless there is obvious damage.
16. Fit the new clutch plate and pressure plate. Make sure that the new clutch plate is the correct way around. It is normally marked which side must go towards the engine or gearbox. Fortunately you remembered to check earlier as advised hey! It is very important that the centre of the clutch plate is perfectly aligned with centre of the crankshaft i.e. exactly in the middle, otherwise you will not get the gearbox back in. An alignment tool or old input shaft for a similar gearbox works wonders. Insert the alignment tool all the way and then tighten the pressure plate bolts. Torque them to their specs.

Gearbox prep.
Now is the time to clean out the bell housing and check the whole gearbox for leaks etc. It may be a good idea to also replace the gearbox oil seals at this stage if there is any doubt or signs of them leaking.

17. Fit the new thrust bearing making sure that you put some grease on the "shaft/tube" it slides on. Make sure the spring is properly installed and that both "ears" are gripped by the spring.
18. Clean the clutch fork and the pivot point. Lubricate the pivot with grease. Also put a little grease (very little) on the spline shaft and tip of the shaft.
19. Now simply pick up the gearbox, align it with the engine/clutch plate and slide it back in. Simple ........... (I might be oversimplifying here ) This is normally the part where foul language is used and blood and skin is shed.
Unless of course you have a good transmission jack. Again, do not let the gearbox hang on the spline shaft and clutch plate with its full weight as both can be damaged. Make sure the gearbox slides in completely with the bell housing flush with the engine block and screw in at least one of the bolts to keep the gearbox in place.
20. Tighten everything. (Assembly is the reverse of disassembly)

Good luck.

Last edited by Mars on Mon Nov 05, 2018 1:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Marnus and I must have been typing these long posts at the same time, posting within minutes of each other, and it looks like we're saying the same things. Read through both just in case either of us has missed something or explains it better.

The seals (crank and gearbox shafts) are available from the agents and are sold individually - not a kit.

When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!

I suppose that in the end, two points of reference are better than one.

But seriously, I'm not a professional mechanic and have taught myself over the years looking after my own vehicles, so I believe that Marnus is the more accurate and reliable source.

When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!

Huge disclaimer - I am also self taught (and by my dad when I was little) so i am certainly no better a source of information than you are Andy. Admittedly I was forced to start maintaining our family's cars when my dad contracted Guillaume-Bare syndrome when I was 11 years old and there simply was no money for workshops to do it. This means I have been working on cars, tractors and trucks for just over 40 years now!!! Strictly as a hobby or out of necessity. Being an advocate just helps in reducing my thoughts to writing.

Bruno, before removing the levers ensure the box and transfer are left in gear - you want to be able to turn the input shaft from the rear output flange when inserting the input so the splines line up easily. If your clutch kit doesn't have a lining up tool or you don't have an old input shaft, try make one using the spigot and plate as a guide whilst they are out - something along the lines of a correct diameter drill bit inserted through a socket etc.

Tranny is out. Clutch was powder!! Note : I had to modify a spanner to remove the top left side bolt that connects the bell housing to the engine.

Now, i cant remember exactly which bolts go where (bell housing to engine). Some are 14 m and some 17m. Anyone have a diagram for me?

Also, does the new clutch go onto the flywheel flat side down with the step or raised side facing the gear box? mine was not marked.

Thanks guys. Really enjoying the learning process!

If memory serves the E/S mark on the one I got was the raised side....also wondering if that actually meant Engine Side as the clutch has a sudden release/engage Bought from AMC and it's supposed to be a SACHS but had some funny name on the box (after their catalog listed the wrong size and it had to be exchanged; I think I'll just get a LUK and be done with it)

For those top bellhousing bolts I used a socket with the "universal joint adaptor" for the lack of a better term...then added a long extension bar and fed the whole in from the gearbox side through the transmission tunnel and operated the ratchet while sitting/lying under the vehicle next to the gearbox.

And try to get one of those plastic alignment tools to center the clutch plate when bolting to the fly wheel; works a charm.

There must be a gap between the flywheel and pressure plate which gets taken up as the pressure plate is torqued down. So that's normal but what I don't like is how flat those fingers are - there should be a little dome-like curvature to my mind.

The clutch plates vary a bit and that could just be between different manufacturers, but it is possible that it was for a 22R. Have you asked the donor if he can remember?

When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!